UNISON Health Group National Conference Opens in Brighton

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UNISON Health Group National Conference Opens in Brighton

UNISON Statement on Middle East Situation

Detrimental Effect of PFI

Manchester Journalists' Strike Meets with Success

Yesterday the Unison Health Group National Conference opened at the Metropole Conference Centre in Brighton. The mood of the conference delegates was reflected early on in the debate over the standing orders committee report. The delegates overturned the report in the context of how the questions from delegates to the minister John Hutton MP were to be put tomorrow. The standing orders committee wanted written question to be submitted today then some would be "chosen" to be put to the minister by the conference president. The delegates voted to refer this back to the committee and ended the day with a victory in that questions are now to be put from the floor. This reflected that the mood of the delegates was to directly take on the government's representative themselves on the question of the government's policy and how the "new money" is to be spent.

There was a lively debate in support of the "right to care" campaign. This opposes the policy of the government in artificially dividing care for the elderly and disabled into nursing and social care and charging for the social component. The right to care campaign was set up by over 20 organisations representing the elderly and disabled, their carers, families and care staff. This motion was supported unanimously. Dave Prentis, Unison's general secretary, gave a keynote speech. In this he spoke about how the union's Positively Public campaign had raised awareness over two-tier health care caused by PFI. At the end of Dave Prentis's speech, eight Filipino nurses came in and presented a banner to Unison to thank them for the work Unison had done to halt their exploitation in private nursing homes.

In the afternoon there was a long debate over Agenda for Change. It was clear that delegates want to eliminate low pay and poor terms and conditions for all health workers. It was explained that Agenda for Change could be used by the government to actually make things worse for some sections of the workforce and PFI would result in increased use of casual labour and that the union must make sure this doesn't happen.

In the evening there was a Unison united left meeting attended by about 100 people. Here delegates exchanged experience of various struggles. These included a representative from the South Tyneside Branch who talked about the successful struggle of the medical secretaries and a delegate from Carlisle branch who talked about the hundreds of equal pay claims that they had submitted.

The meeting discussed the importance of opposing the PFI. The view was emphasised that health workers should have a say in how the new money for the NHS promised by the government is to be spent. Building this opposition would help to ensure it did not go to the private sector, which is the government's plan.

Workers' Weekly Health Group at the Unison Health Group National Conference in Brighton

UNISON’s National Executive Council issued the following statement on the Middle East situation, dated April 23, 2002:

National Executive Council Report AGENDA NO: 6(d)

NEC statement on the Middle East

UNISON expresses concern at the dramatic escalation of violence and the loss of life in Israel and Palestine. We believe that the current dangerous situation is a direct consequence of the abandonment of the peace process and the invasion and reoccupation of Palestinian territories by the Israeli army directed by Ariel Sharon. We condemn the Israeli Government for its continuing policy of State terrorism in violation of UN resolutions and international law.

UNISON believes that Israel’s continuing offensive against Palestinian targets will not stop the spate of suicide bombings against Israeli forces and civilians. We condemn unreservedly the killing of innocent civilians by suicide bombers and believe that there can be no justification whatsoever for such acts, but we believe that they are fuelled by the deep frustration and despair of the Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation, and by the indiscriminate use of brute military force against innocent civilians.

UNISON reaffirms its solidarity and support for the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), expressing sorrow that the recent bombings of Nablus caused great damage to the headquarters of the PGFTU. We believe that the current military offensive and the humiliation of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his people by a supposed democracy is unacceptable, and we support fully the calls made by the United Nations, the EU, the US President George W. Bush and Russia for Israel to withdraw immediately from Palestinian territories.

We believe that it is ordinary people who are paying the true price of conflict in the Middle East and innocent civilians on both sides who are suffering. On the Israeli side, main cities remain empty, especially at nights, and Israelis are afraid to go out unless it is absolutely necessary. On the Palestinian side, in addition to the severe unemployment, and the daily humiliation of the occupation further exacerbated by the recent reoccupation of Palestinian towns and villages, there is now a mounting humanitarian and human rights crisis in the West Bank.

UNISON expresses concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, where people lack water, medicines and food. We support the recent UN call for Israel to respect humanitarian law and allow full and unimpeded access to humanitarian organisations and services, and international observers. We call for an immediate halt to British arms sales to Israel, and we will approach other trade unions representing those involved in the production and transport of arms and equipment to the IDF, asking them to refuse to produce and transport these items to Israel. In particular we will urge the British government to use its influence within the EU and on the US administration to press for an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories and to insist that Ariel Sharon participates in meaningful dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. Furthermore, we demand the establishment of an International Commission of Inquiry into allegations of human rights abuses, including killings of civilians, by the Israeli army in Palestinian refugee camps. We believe that disproportionate and excessive force has been used by Israel and that civilians were not properly protected.

UNISON calls for an end to all violence and we renew our call for reconciliation and for a negotiated political solution, which will allow Israel to live in peace within secure pre-1967 borders and for the creation of a viable independent Palestinian state, in accordance with UN resolutions 1397 and 1402, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The international community must now demand that Israel comply with UN resolutions 242 and 338, which call for a full and permanent withdrawal from the Occupied Territories, and must also insist that the refugee question be settled in negotiations based on UN resolution 194, which recognises the right of Palestinian refugees to return.

In the event that the government of Ariel Sharon continues its military aggression and refuses to comply with UN resolutions, we call upon the UK Government and the EU to instigate economic and trade sanctions against the state of Israel. We believe that the UK must work for this aim in all its international discussions about Palestine particularly with the USA, and in the UN.

UNISON calls for a boycott of Israeli goods and services until such time as the Israeli Government agrees to comply with UN resolutions and return to the negotiating table. We will continue to communicate with the PGFTU and liase with the Trade Union Friends of Palestine and the Labour Middle East Council in setting out the future direction of this campaign. We further call upon the TUC, STUC and the whole of the British trade union movement to lend support to the UNWRA emergency appeal for the West Bank and Gaza. UNISON will contribute to this appeal with an appropriate amount.

We also call upon the international community to bring pressure to bear to bring an end to the continuing cycle of violence in the region and to reinvigorate the search for a peaceful solution in the Middle East. We reaffirm our position of opposition to escalating the military action against Iraq, as we believe that this will only serve to exacerbate tensions in the Middle East and create further instability and chaos.

Plans for a new hospital in Yorkshire could push up local waiting lists because it will cut acute beds in the area by a quarter, UNISON has warned.

In a new report published on April 29, the union fears the scheme will also lead to job losses and fewer local services.

The hospital in Wakefield is being built under the discredited Private Finance Initiative (PFI) system. UNISON is campaigning against PFI because it does not give value for money, is a fundamentally expensive option and lines the pockets of private contractors.

The independent report looks into wide ranging plans proposed by Wakefield Health Authority. It paints a grim picture of under-funding leading to hospital closures, centralised services and a 24% cut in the number of acute beds in the area.

The plan will reduce the number of acute hospitals from three to two and centralise acute services on the Pinderfields site in Wakefield, where a new hospital will be built using PFI.

Plans include staff reductions totalling £6.3m and selling off land and buildings. Pontefract, Southmoor and Castleford hospitals will be downgraded to become predominately an outpatient and daycase centre.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

"I'm Yorkshire born and bred and it makes me sick to see that local residents will suffer if these plans go ahead. They will have a major impact on the elderly, the sick and those with chronic illnesses.

"Acute hospitals will be downsized in return for new investment and the result will be fewer services, fewer beds, fewer nurses, longer waiting lists and higher costs. Where's the sense in that?

"The report puts another nail in the coffin of the already discredited PFI system. Once again we see that building new hospitals using PFI is not only extremely costly but results in service cuts."

The UNISON report concludes that the deficits that have plagued the area for more than seven years are the result of under-funded patient care.

The new strategy, far from resolving the financial deficits, will deepen the financial crisis across Wakefield and the surrounding areas.

Mr Prentis added:

"UNISON is holding its health care conference this week and I know this report will strengthen our members' commitment to campaign against the continued use of PFI in the NHS.

The poor standards of hospital buildings, cuts in staff and beds can only lead to poorer patient care. The evidence is mounting up and the government literally cannot afford to ignore it."

'Debts, Deficits and Service Reductions: Wakefield Health Authority's legacy to primary care trusts' by David Price - University of Northumbria and Allyson Pollock - University College London.

The 29 journalists who were on strike at Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers (North) – part of Guardian Media – have won a deal from the company. Here are the details of the settlement.

The new starting rate for trainees is £13,060 – a rise of 24.5 percent on the previous minimum, and a rise of more than 8 percent on the previous rate for graduates with pre-entry qualifications.

Trainees in their second year will receive £14,255 – a rise of at least 5 percent.

Trainees will also receive a one-off payment of £280.

Seniors in Oldham and Salford will receive parity with the rest of the group – a rise of 10.3 percent – plus a one off payment of £350.

Seniors in the rest of the group will receive a rise of 2.5 percent plus the one off payment of £350.

A new senior grade will be introduced taking the maximum wage for people below the rank of deputy editor to over £19,000 – a rise on the maximum of 7.4 percent.

The payments will be backdated to January 1 – even in Oldham and Salford where the previous pay date was April 1.

A re-grading exercise will take place with any rises implemented by October 1.

Meal allowances will rise by five percent.

The company has promised a one-off payment of £200 next year on top of any negotiated pay rise.

Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers (South) – papers in Stockport, Tameside, Macclesfield, etc – will receive parity with the northern group. That means a rise of at least 10.3 percent plus the one-off payments backdated to April 1.

The NUJ – which was de-recognised during the dispute – has been recognised again.

Congratulations can be sent to badlypaid@hotmail.com

For more information, visit www.nuj.org.uk